1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to treating algae with one or more thaxtomins. The methods are useful for application to water such as raw water, or algae contaminated surfaces or equipment in need of treatment to control, minimize and/or eliminate algae.
2. Background
Many pools, ponds, lakes, tanks, estuaries, and oceans contain a substantial population of suspended algae in the water body's water column. These algae give the water a greenish and often murky appearance that many observers find unattractive. Floating agglomerations of undesirable filamentous algae also can occur. Algae blooms, where a high concentration of algae are found in a water body, lead to low levels of dissolved oxygen, and stress the aquatic and fish populations. In some cases, such conditions lead to fish kills and decrease the overall quality of a water body.
Currently used methods of controlling algae growth include treating water with algaecides. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,899 describes copper sulfate used for algae control. Known algaecide agents kill the algae and return the water to a more desired appearance of clear or less colored waters. However, known algaecides are problematic in that they may be costly and potentially toxic to the environment. Moreover, after algaecides dissipate, the use of algaecides has not necessarily altered the water conditions, which remain suitable for subsequent growth of algae, and/or renewed contamination.
Thaxtomins are a known group of phytotoxins, however, although thaxtomin A and analogues thereof demonstrate many of the biological properties desirable in potential herbicides, they are known to lack the systemic phytotoxicity critical to deliver reliable weed control in the field at low herbicide rates. See, for example, Herbicidal Properties of the Thaxtomin Group of Phytotoxins, J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 49, No. 5, 2001.
Both algae contamination and the use of algaecides continue to be problematic. Retreating contaminated environments compounds the overall cost of treatment, and increases the potential for toxic accumulation of the algaecide in the environment. Thus, there is a continuing need for new algaecides, and methods of using and making algaecides and formulations thereof. Moreover, there is a continuing need to identify algaecides which may be easily manufactured, and/or less environmentally damaging than known algaecides.